The great balcony in the clouds: the Tour du Mont Blanc to Chamonix

December 11, 2024 Trip reports alps, chamonix, france, french alps, long-distance trails, mont blanc, self-guided walking, tour du mont blanc 1 Comment

This is the last of four posts describing our trek around the Tour du Mont Blanc in September, a classic 170km circuit of Western Europe’s highest mountain. After starting out from Chamonix and walking the western section through France, we crossed Italy and Switzerland, and arrived back on the French border at Col de Balme. The story continues from there.

A window into the past: the Tour du Mont Blanc from Switzerland to France

November 27, 2024 Trip reports alps, france, italy, long-distance trails, mont blanc, self-guided walking, swiss alps, switzerland, tour du mont blanc 0 Comment

This is the third of four posts describing our trek around the Tour du Mont Blanc in September, a classic 170km circuit of Western Europe’s highest mountain. After starting out from Chamonix and walking the western section through France, we crossed Italy and arrived on the Swiss border at Grand Col Ferret. The story continues from there.

Walter Bonatti’s ferret: the Tour du Mont Blanc from Italy to Switzerland

November 13, 2024 Trip reports alps, france, italian alps, italy, long-distance trails, mont blanc, self-guided walking, switzerland, tour du mont blanc, walter bonatti 2 Comments

This is the second of four posts describing our trek around the Tour du Mont Blanc in September, a classic 170km circuit of Western Europe’s highest mountain. After starting out from Chamonix and walking the western section through France, we arrived on the Italian border at Col de la Seigne and looked down into a valley rich in history.

Valleys of mountain joy: the Tour du Mont Blanc from France to Italy

October 30, 2024 Trip reports alps, chamonix, cicerone guides, france, french alps, italy, long-distance trails, mont blanc, self-guided walking, the natural adventure, tour du mont blanc 1 Comment

Last year Edita and I hiked the famous GR20 long-distance trail along the spine of mountainous Corsica. It was our first experience of so-called ‘self-guided’ trips, where an operator books your accommodation and luggage transfers, but you make your own way from point to point. We were keen to do another, and there was an obvious one to try next.

Is this the world’s most expensive boat trip? Climbing the Mullardoch Munros

July 24, 2024 Trip reports boat trips, britain, hill walking, munro bagging, munros, peak bagging, scotland 1 Comment

We left the longest walk of the trip until the second week, when we hoped to be more mountain fit. Even so, when we stood on the summit of Toll Creagach and looked across Loch Mullardoch to its four associated Munros (the ‘Mullardoch Munros’), we could see quite clearly that it was going to be a loooong day.

Peaks and pine forests: exploring the Glen Affric Munros

June 12, 2024 Trip reports affric kintail way, britain, glen affric, hill walking, munro bagging, munros, scotland 1 Comment

There are quite a few Scottish glens (or valleys) that get described as ‘the most beautiful in Scotland’. Obviously, they can’t all be, but Glen Affric is certainly up there among the best. There are 16 Munros in the surrounding area. Our plan was to climb as many as we could in two weeks.

Trekking Ladakh’s Langtang and Chang valleys: the videos

May 1, 2024 Trip reports dzo jongo, himalayas, india, ladakh, mountain films, trekking, trekking peaks 0 Comment

I left you a month ago having climbed the easy trekking peak Dzo Jongo East and made a valiant attempt on Dzo Jongo West in a whiteout. With the peaks happily under our belt, we experienced four days of trekking joy as we crossed high passes linking the Langtang and Chang valleys in a landscape that changed with every day.

Walking the Preseli Hills and Pembrokeshire Coast

April 17, 2024 Trip reports britain, county tops, long-distance trails, pembrokeshire coast path, preseli hills, wales 0 Comment

With crappy weather on the cards for the Easter weekend, we decided to do something a bit more relaxing. I had never been to the Pembrokeshire Coast, with its rugged cliffs and secluded coves, nor walked the coastal Preseli Hills that were the source of the giant stones of Stonehenge.

Dzo Jongo East and Dzo Jongo West: the videos

April 3, 2024 Trip reports dzo jongo, himalayas, india, ladakh, mountain films, trekking, trekking peaks 2 Comments

Yes, folks. It’s time for the next mesmerising instalment of my award-winning video diaries. I left you a month ago having passed through the villages and oases of the narrow Markha Valley. High up in the wide open spaces of the Nimaling Valley, it was time to tackle the mountains we had come to climb.

Ladakh’s Markha Valley Trek: the videos

March 6, 2024 Trip reports himalayas, india, ladakh, markha valley, mountain films, trekking 0 Comment

It’s over three years since I last released a series of my trademark shit videos on YouTube. Some of you are wondering if a yeti got my tongue. Eighteen months have gone by since I trekked in Ladakh, and the hilarious footage that I took has been lying untouched on my hard drive. It’s time to give it an airing.

← Previous